By Tiernan Ray

Here are some things going on this morning in your world of tech:

Shares of organic light-emitting diode manufacturer Universal Display (PANL) are down $4.97, or almost 18%, at $23.21 after the company last night missed Q3 revenue and profit estimates and cut its outlook for this year’s revenue.

The stock has gotten one downgrade this morning, from Wedbush Securities, which cut the shares to Neutral. But otherwise, the bulls on the stock are mostly leaping to the defense. Cowen & Co.’s Robert Stone, reiterating an Outperform rating, writes, “we remain positive on a one-year view because: Samsung license revenue rises annually by contract, we believe green is essential for TV and high-performance mobile displays, and industry capacity should grow by about 50% next year.”

Shares of Qualcomm (QCOM) are up $4.37, or 7.5%, at $62.48 after the company yesterday afternoon beat fiscal Q4 expectations and offered better-than-expected projections for this quarter and the full fiscal year 2013. Analysts are raising profit estimates as they see a better mix of sales, based on Qualcomm selling more chipsets with “long-term evolution,” or LTE, fast wireless connections. As Nomura Equity Research’s Romit Shah writes this morning, “MSM units of 173mn units are in-line, but ASP of $21.50 per unit is much higher than our estimate of $18.70, due to increasing LTE shipments. A stronger mix is also driving chipset margins up 450 bps to 20.0%, versus our estimate of 18%.”

However, at least one bull has stepped up to the plate. Ittai Kidron of Oppenheimer & Co. this morning writes that the sell-off is overdone, and argues the stock can get back to $620 or so.

Speaking of Apple DigiTimes’s Sammi Huang and Alex Wolfgram today offer a rather interesting piece about how the company is looking to go “upstream” in source specialized materials, in effect “skipping assemblers and parts makers as part of the overall production process,” citing multiple unnamed “industry sources.”

Those of you waiting for the next version of Microsoft‘s (MSFT) Surface tablet computer, the “Surface Pro,” which runs Intel (INTC) microprocessors instead of Nvidia‘s (NVDA), Business Insider’s Julie Borttoday directs our attention to some information from German retailer Notebook.de, which leaked prices on its Web site, apparently. Writes Bort, the Pro is listed for €722, or $920, and €808, or $1,026.

I’d note that Sinofsky seems to me to be the favorite of just about everyone on the Street I talk to. The New Bill Gates seems to be how he’s regarded.

Microsoft shares are up 24 cents, or 0.8%, at $2932.

Shares of Research in Motion (RIMM) are up 20 cents, or 2.4%, at $8.44 after the company offered another update this morning on its forthcoming “BB10” operating system software, stating that the code is now “FIPS 140-2 certified,” which, in cue you didn’t know, means that BB10 can be deployed by government agencies when it is available. RIM said it was the first time it had obtained a FIPS certification ahead of the commercial availability of a BlackBerry product.

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There are 13 comments

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 10:28 A.M.

Sam wrote:

of course they are coming to the defense of Apple, they need people to buy more and they own it too so if it drops it hurts their funds, these guys are always touting to buy when everyone is selling. Nice try...

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 10:29 A.M.

Bill wrote:

Apple and Tim Cook are now the joke
of Wall Street. Wall Street is Tim Cook's
Daddy

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 10:35 A.M.

Anonymous wrote:

But then what about the other analysts and pundits that are burying Apple? Don't they have an agenda as well?

Right now, the sentiment in articles relating to AAPL seems to be 10:1 negative.

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 10:48 A.M.

spaceage wrote:

Obviously the bears/shorts are piling on apple now, an oft-repeated pattern. But this time, it's different, and the difference is Tim Cook. Whatever happened to "doubling down" on secrecy? I guess Foxconn didn't get Timmy's memo. Since when do those guys speak for Apple's production capabilities? Something tells me Steve-O wouldn't have been real happy about that info blast. Not to mention the total lack of leadership with the cash on hand and the share price. Riddle me this: what better use of its cash does apple have going today that trumps buying back its stock at a 20% discount from 1 month ago and at a 12 PE? Oh yeah, I forgot, they are busy hoarding tbills since they are vastly superior investments to this stock I guess is the message coming from Apple's management. Seriously, Timmy has to go, this guy is WAY too soft and spineless. We go from one of the coarsest leaders in modern business history to one of the most flaccid. This company needs real leadership at the top--it is sadly lacking now and it is completely apparent watching what is happening in the past 90 days.

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 10:52 A.M.

Bill wrote:

@ Spaceage: You are dead on! I have
been saying for months. Tim Cook is a
Pussy! He is weak and has no spine. They
are sticking it to him from all sides and
he just smiles and continues to bend over
What Apple needs now is a CEO with brass
balls. Cook is Useless.

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 11:02 A.M.

Seagull wrote:

I was in an electronics store in an airport departure lounge less that a week after Windows 8 went on sale. Out of thousands of bored passengers waiting for their gate announcement, I was the only one looking at the rows of Windows 8 laptops on display. I was pretty shocked at the total lack of interest.

There was quite a huddle around the Apple stand, as usual. with the iPad attracting most attention.

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 11:06 A.M.

Market Mayhem wrote:

Oppy's boys are using the time-honored pump and dump speech. Investors throw money into Apple and get nothing back in return. Saying that Apple will get back to $620 is freaking pathetic. What the hell is Apple doing below $620 when they were claiming Apple was going to $800 when it was sitting at $700. These people are nothing but liars and cheats. I feel pretty badly for the mom and pop investors who are taking the brunt of the deceit. Those Apple bull analysts are totally clueless about Apple. They keep calling for a bottom every day and the next day Apple drops another $10 lower. They should just say they don't know a damn thing and then shut the hell up.

Tim Cook has managed to destroy Apple in just over a year after Steve's death. It's a damn shame he wasn't able to keep the company upright for such a short time. He let lesser companies like Google and Amazon take away everything while he's comfortably sitting on all that reserve cash. Cook and the once 700 lb. gorilla of Apple are being made into Capuchin monkeys by Wall Street. Cook should at least say something to reassure shareholders that something is in the works, instead of just hiding under the desk in his office. I know he's no Steve Jobs, but I didn't know he had no guts whatsoever.

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 11:11 A.M.

Macrimony wrote:

What is really saddening is suppliers for Apple are making money, yet Apple is constantly losing money. It sounds like poor management skills on Apple's part. They're opening more stores and selling less product. That can't be good for shareholders. Apple's P/E is continuing its never-ending drop. The company is definitely on the skids thanks to lord and master Tim Cook.

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 11:30 A.M.

Ed wrote:

Steve Jobs is rolling in his grave watching these A holes destroy what he left them. Tim Cook was left in charge to execute, execute, and execute and release new products that were perfect. He has done none of these and in fact, has thrown away Apple's money into a Useless Dividend, and has failed on new product releases badly and his execution has been horriffic. Steve gave him the keys to the number 1 company in the World, and Tim Cook has turned Apple in into the Joke Company on Wallstreet and late night TV. God Bless Steve Jobs.

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 11:32 A.M.

freddysrevng wrote:

How do you like ME now?

No "spiking the football" today.

The "SMARTEST GUY IN THE ROOM" right now, appears to be Thorsen Heins, CEO RIM.

Reason - while everyone has been bashing the "late arrival of BB 10" - he said that they postponed the launch of BB 10 to

1. Make sure it is "perfect"
2. To let the "noise die down in the market"

Well iPhone 5 will be a memory by Q1 of 2013, Samsung will come out with an S3 knockoff and BB 10 phones will be unequivocally the FRESHEST AND MOST EXCITING PHONES IN THE MARKET Q1 2013.

This guy, unlike Cookie, is exceeding expectations.

Enter BB 10...

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 1:04 P.M.

@seagull wrote:

bull. I've been in 4 airports in last 3 weeks, both in the State and the UK. I saw alot more WIndows and Android devices than Apple. Because they line up to play with Apple toys them and then realize they can buy 2 WIndows for the same price.

NOVEMBER 8, 2012 1:23 P.M.

SecurityGuy wrote:

note the reference to BB remaining (regardless of hype, media and fanboy rhetoric) the "gold standard" in secure transmission handling

About Tech Trader Daily

Tech Trader Daily is a blog on technology investing written by Barron’s veteran Tiernan Ray. The blog provides news, analysis and original reporting on events important to investors in software, hardware, the Internet, telecommunications and related fields. Comments and tips can be sent to: techtraderdaily@barrons.com.